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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  8. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. drill — the tool
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. face — to point toward
  8. hide — animal skin
  9. face — part of the head
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. pitch — a sales talk
  12. drill — a practice
  13. bulb — for light
  14. fall — to drop
  15. face — to confront
  16. fall — to drop
  17. drill — army training
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — completely
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. bulb — for light
  24. fall — the season

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com